Moroccan theatre in the post-Lead Years*: language, society & politics In the last decade, Morocco has started a process of democratisation and development, introducing wide ranging reforms touching education, human rights, the status of women but also the role of minorities and the fight against corruption have been introduced. King Mohammed VI has managed to avoid the instability devastating its neighbours and is leading the country through a slow, controlled transition. Despite severe issues related to poverty and unemployment, young Moroccans are more daring, more creative and more politically aware than ever. Research questions: How does theatre reflect social developments? What does language reveal about contemporary Morocco? What does it promote? Methodology: Focus on Moroccan theatre as an art form and as a social and political tool. Qualitative approach: I have analysed a number of popular recent plays with socio-political themes and interviewed a number of theatre professionals, cultural policy makers and scholars. From its early years in the beginning in the 1920s, Moroccan theatre was used as a means of resistance against French colonialism, with Classical Arabic and traditional narratives used to foster nationalism and pan-Arabism. In the last decade, theatre has become increasingly visual and experimental in its form, while retaining its early activism. Amazigh theatre has also greatly developed since its birth in the 1980s, with a number of dedicated festivals, questioning notions of identity and nation. Theatre as a document, capturing many of the paradoxes of a globalising but culturally conservative society. A cultural renewal, reflected in plays through inventive uses of language Mutilingualism offers opportunities to make social statements, particularly by referring to political ideologies such as pan-Arabism or pan-Berberism. Theatre between East and West A country in transition CONCLUSIONS Cleo JAY SOAS Making a stand Language and its meanings Case study : Huwa by Driss Ksikes (2010) Written and published in French, considered as the language of literature, but performed in darija Characters switching to French when addressing taboos such as religion or sexuality.  Complex evolution of the language between speech and text In the Moroccan context, where multilingualism and code- switching are the norm, the choice of language is particularly important and reflects different ideals. Classical Arabic remains the language of administration and official discourses, but Berber dialects were recognised as state languages following the Arab Spring demonstrations in Darija and French however are the most in use in homes and in the work place. 4 main possibilities for theatre-makers: Classical Arabic  Promotes pan Arabism, nationalism, sacred language of Islam. French  Elitism, reference to the French theatrical repertoire, French culture. Moroccan darija  Represents the urban quotidian, popular, non-elitist Berber dialect  Refers to the rural quotidian, promotes Amazigh minorities and Amazigh* transnational history Contemporary Moroccan theatre is fundamentally a hybrid medium, hovering between the Western repertoire discovered through colonisation and the traditional performance heritage of popular dances and songs, storytelling and festivals, between the closed space of the Italian stage and the open space of the market place. Young theatre-makers are concerned with issues of identity and authenticity, modernity and globalisation, creating a theatre that is challenging and multifaceted and that reflects the issues encountered by Morocco, a country transitioning towards the global era while trying to protect its specificities. Lead Years: commonly refers to the most violent part of King Hassan II’s reign, starting from the late 1960s until the early 1990s Amazigh: it is the term Berber communities use to refer to themselves, emphasising their belonging to a transnational community from Morocco to Egypt Arrabouz by Theatre Vies-Age, 2014 Daba citoyen festival, by Dabateatr, 2011